


Daddy Duckling

by Kimmy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Don't Like Don't Read, Ducks, Family, How Do I Tag, M/M, Multi, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-17
Updated: 2018-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-03 19:33:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14003133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmy/pseuds/Kimmy
Summary: Unaware of Jace's special relationship with the pets, Clary allows her nephews to bring a duckling home...





	Daddy Duckling

Their house has never been quite normal or quiet between the unusual trio of them, their kids and the family crashing in every now and then, but the first thing that Magnus expected to hear upon coming back home was not a scream.

Or at least, not Jace screaming.

Max or Rafe making ruckus wouldn’t be unexpected. But Jace? Jace could be hot-tempered at times, but he wasn’t the kind of person to yell during the arguments. He knew all too well pouting and guilt-tripping worked a lot better on both Magnus and Alec and the manipulative little shit used that knowledge to his own gain. And both Magnus and Alec were weak, weak people. Not that it was a problem. When it came down to it, it worked out well.

“Ayah?”

He paused where he was taking off his coat and turned to find Max in the doorway, looking at him with big pleading eyes. Magnus knelt in front of him, taking him up into his arms.

“Daddies are arguing, ayah.”

He kissed his son on the forehead as he slipped out of his shoes and turned to walk to the living room where Jace and Alec were shouting at each other.

“I can see that sweetheart. What happened?”

He turned around, deciding to leave Alec and Jace to it, considering they were so busy they didn’t even notice him and walked up the stairs to the boys’ room, to find Clary there, with Rafe sitting next to her, playing with a tiny, yellow, fluffy ball.

Not a ball.

A duckling.

Ah, things seemed to make a lot more sense now. Clary perked up where she saw him, her eyes full of guilt and expression apologetic.

“Magnus, I’m so sorry, I swear, I just genuinely didn’t know.”

“It’s alright, Biscuit. Think you can explain things to me, though? The two down there were too busy being unreasonable to even notice me.”

He put Max down, smiling involuntarily when the blue boy joined his brother in being completely enamored with the duckling.

“Alec was home alone and he needed to send in some documents due to an emergency, so he called me in as a babysitter because Jace was on a patrol and you were at work, so I took the boys to the park and we have come across… complications.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow. Meanwhile, the duckling crawled into his lap and he couldn’t help but coo at it, taking it onto his hand and allowing it to settle there, snuggling happily.

“A demon. A little ugly thing, but not too dangerous. I dealt with it quickly with my dagger but… It killed a duck and some of its ducklings. This little guy was the only one who survived. We took him home and I read up on ducks a bit and we made him a little space and made sure we cared for him alright, and the boys kinda already adopted him except…”

“You didn’t know it’s a problem.”

“I didn’t know it’s a problem. Alec was too busy working to look and notice and when Rafe told him, he just said ‘pet’ because he didn’t remember how duck was in English and Alec isn’t best at Spanish and just… Well, Alec basically let the boys keep it without knowing what he’s done and then Jace came back and… Run out screaming and well, I guess you were downstairs so you see.”

Magnus sighed, shaking his head and wondering how they were going to get out of this mess. He left Max with Clary and went down with to confront the boys, glad to see they had finally calmed down somewhat, Alec’s face lighting up when he noticed Magnus was home, but that was when Jace turned to see him.

“GET THAT THING OUT OF THE HOUSE!”

Too late, Magnus realized he was still holding the duckling. Thankfully, Clary realized that too, sprinting after Magnus and taking the pet from him before running out of sight. Magnus put his empty hands up in a gesture of surrender, slowly approaching Jace despite the vicious glare the blonde offered him.

He sat down next to him, kissing his cheek and looking at him sympathetically.

“Well, if there was any doubt in anyone’s mind left as to whether you’re a Herondale, it’s surely gone now. Will was about as friendly with ducks as you are.”

“We are not going to keep a pet duck.”

Jace stated firmly and Alec slumped on the sofa next to him, looking tired and forlorn as if he heard that sentence all too many times.

“I’m not saying we are! But I just don’t know how to explain it to them! And you don’t seem to be any braver than I am, Jace. Go on, tell our sons their new beloved pet has to go.”

Jace just bit his lip while Alec looked at Magnus.

“Help me out here, Mags. I didn’t mean to let them keep it.”

Magnus looked at the picture of his miserable parabatai and sighed. They really got themselves into quite a mess. There wasn’t really much he could do but surrender to his sad fate of the executioner. In the end, Jace wouldn’t get anywhere near the boys as long as the duckling was near, and Alec might have been a stern leader but not a stern parent, unable to say no to his sons.

“You owe me big for this one, both of you.”

After all, the boys have allowed themselves to be bribed with a puppy in place of a duckling but they still refused a goodnight kiss from them that night. Magnus, because he took the duckling away, Jace, because he was the one who ordered it, and Alec, because he went back on his word to allow them to keep it.

The duckling was happily adopted by Izzy and Catarina’s little Madzie, where the boys could visit it at their cousin’s. It was the best option for everyone.

In the end, the puppy ended up a wonderful addition, and the moment Jace introduced the boys to a little golden retriever, they forgot everything about being angry with him.

And when Magnus bought matching duck onesies for the puppy and Jace, it only served Jace right to be forced to wear it. It’s not like he didn’t secretly enjoy it. 

Max and Rafe  _definitely_ did. Unlike the real thing, Daddy Duckling gave great piggyback rides.


End file.
